Customer Reviews
I was put off by the reviews, but won't let that happen again - By: Dormouse, 31 Oct 2008 
I really liked Katie's first two albums but delayed buying this one for over 6 months because of all the poor reviews.
And, having finally decided "what the heck,I'll see for myself", I was disappointed when I first played it through - despite having low expectations because of the reviews. Then I played it again & it wasn't quite so bad. And then I played it a lotin the car (& had the other albums there for comparison). And it grew & grew & grew on me. And now it is probably my favourite album of hers. My favourite tracks have varied over time, & I probably still feel that the middle is a little weaker. Certainly, some of the lyrics are rather naff (and even irritating) - but 'twas ever so, & also true of other artists. What it doesn't have is anything with the very immediate catchiness of '9m bicycles' or 'Closest Thing to Crazy', but as a whole CD it is no worse for that.
Contractual Obligation Album - By: S. C. Trump, 10 Oct 2008 
Monty Python released an album with this titlein the early 80s & this is what this album from Katie feels like. The songs are pleasant & pass an enjoyable 45 minutes but there are no standout tracks as there were on the excellent first two albums. The highlights are 'If I were a sailboat' & 'Ghost Town', both of which received much radio play. 'What it says on the tin' just grates on me as it's one of those annoying 'in' sayings that no-one had heard of until a few years ago (a bit like 'rocket science') & 'If the lights go out' is just plain depressing lyrically. What I don't understand is why the gorgeous 'When you taught me how to dance'; Katies song from the film 'Miss Potter' is not included here as that really would provide a standout track for this collection. I'll be listening to 'Call off the Search' & 'Piece by Piece' for a long time yet but I fear this album will just gather dust.
Outstanding Pictures - By: Mr. Mark W. Longden, 07 Sep 2008 Pictures is a CD that seems to collect very diverse opinions & I am baffled by this. Yes, the songs are 'easy' to the ear & simple lyrics - but so what? Surely the point of music is to enjoy the performance & not to look beyond. Katie Melua has here an excellent collection of songs & is supported by equally excellent musicians. For me the whole collection is a joy to listen to.
I'm not sure why a fellow reviewer found it a problem when Melua thought a song was well written -in her opinion. What has it to do with the joy of listening to this CD?
Katie Melua I like this CD & will derive much pleasure from it, please continue with more of the same.
"nine million bicycles in Beijing" - By: Mikie, 27 Aug 2008 "Katie Melua's unsubstantiated claims that there are, & I quote, "nine million bicyclesin Beijing" & that indeed "that's a fact, it's a thing we can't deny"--when at best it can be no more than an exaggerated guesstimate & at worst just plain made up",
Very interesting.
About 16 000 000 people livein Beijing. According to Wikipedia the ratio of bicycles to people is estimated at 1 to 2. One may assume thatin a big city it is slightly higher? On that basis 9 million seems a reasonable estimate (if it is only that!)
Just a bit of fun! - By: Iain Campbell, 01 Jul 2008 
Okay, so the lyrics aren't so sophisticated. So what? The music is still pretty damn good. I got into the album instantly, as i found the music to be very accesible, easy listening; instantly likeable. I have been a Melua fan from the start & I am pleased to see her goingin a different route, her music now being alot more entertaining & uplifting. Some of the lyrics may be called childish, i personally find them charming. For example, 'if the lights go out' has beautiful lyrics of love until the end of time, whereas i don't understand why some people are taking such issue with the lyrics of 'if you were a sailboat' among others. The concept of the album shows that she is not expecting us to take the lyrics too seriously & that she is trying to have a bit of fun, with her previous albums having quite a downbeat feel. Lets just be thankful that there arent any obscene claims about the number of bicyclesin Beijing!
